VoxelGrids Builds India’s First Made-in-India MRI Scanner

In a major boost to India’s medical technology ecosystem, Bengaluru-based start-up VoxelGrids has developed the country’s first fully indigenous MRI scanner. The achievement marks a significant step towards reducing India’s dependence on imported diagnostic equipment and strengthening the Make in India initiative in high-end healthcare technology.

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VoxelGrids Builds India’s First Made-in-India MRI Scanner

Breakthrough in Domestic Medical Imaging

The 1.5-tesla MRI scanner developed by VoxelGrids has been deployed at the Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur.

The system is the outcome of a 12-year research and development effort led by the company’s founder Arjun Arunachalam, aimed at designing and manufacturing MRI technology entirely within India—an area traditionally dominated by multinational corporations.

Cost and Technology Advantages

Unlike conventional MRI machines produced by global manufacturers such as Siemens and GE HealthCare, the VoxelGrids scanner does not use liquid helium.

Key advantages include:

• Nearly 40% reduction in manufacturing cost
• Lower operating and maintenance expenses
• Compact and energy-efficient electronics
• Standard bore size with reduced power consumption

Eliminating liquid helium significantly lowers long-term costs and addresses supply-chain vulnerabilities.

Improving Access Through Flexible Models

VoxelGrids plans to introduce pay-per-use pricing models, allowing hospitals to pay dynamically instead of making high upfront investments. This model is expected to benefit small and mid-sized hospitals, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas.

Currently, India has only about 5,000 MRI machines, translating to roughly 3.5 scanners per million people, highlighting a serious diagnostic infrastructure gap.

Manufacturing Capacity and Future Plans

VoxelGrids currently has the capacity to manufacture 20–25 MRI scanners annually at its Bengaluru facility.

The start-up is backed by $5 million in funding from Zoho and is preparing for a commercial launch by the end of the current financial year.

Future plans include:

• Mobile and containerised MRI units
• Expansion into export markets
• Scaling domestic production to meet national demand

Exam-Oriented Key Facts

• India’s first fully indigenous MRI scanner
• Developed by VoxelGrids (Bengaluru)
• Uses 1.5-tesla magnetic strength
• Does not use liquid helium
• Reduces cost by ~40%
• MRI market in India dominated by five global OEMs

Question & Answer

Q1. Which Indian start-up has developed the country’s first fully indigenous MRI scanner?
(a) Tata Medical Systems
(b) VoxelGrids
(c) Bharat Electronics Limited
(d) Trivitron Healthcare
Answer: VoxelGrids

Q2. The first indigenous MRI scanner by VoxelGrids has been deployed at which facility?
(a) AIIMS Delhi
(b) Tata Memorial Hospital
(c) Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation
(d) KEM Hospital
Answer: Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation

Q3. What is the magnetic strength of the MRI scanner developed by VoxelGrids?
(a) 0.5 Tesla
(b) 1 Tesla
(c) 1.5 Tesla
(d) 3 Tesla
Answer: 1.5 Tesla

Q4. Eliminating the use of liquid helium in MRI machines primarily helps in reducing what?
(a) Image quality
(b) Manufacturing and operating costs
(c) Scan duration
(d) Radiation exposure
Answer: Manufacturing and operating costs

Q5. MRI technology is based on which principle?
(a) X-rays
(b) Ultrasound waves
(c) Strong magnetic fields and radio waves
(d) Gamma radiation
Answer: Strong magnetic fields and radio waves

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